Hello there! Today, I am going to talk about Toyota 4Runner and its towing capacities.
Some of the things that I am going to cover in this article include the towing capacities of every model of Toyota 4Runner, its towing features, the amount of distance covered for every gallon, experience of using a Toyota 4Runner as well as other suggested alternatives that you might want to consider.
Can a Toyota 4Runner Tow a Travel Trailer?
Toyota 4Runner is capable of towing travel trailer as well as a fifth wheel. It can tow between 5000 lbs to 7300 lbs depending on the types of engine it is equipped with. A V8 engine has higher towing capacity as compared to V6. But, currently Toyota only offers 4runner with V6 engine. Between 2003 to 2009 it used to offer V8 engine for 4runner that had higher towing capacity.
A 4Runner that is equipped with a V6 engine is able to tow a smaller type of travel trailer weighing upto 5000 lbs. On the other hand, a 4Runner equipped with a V8 engine should have no problem at all towing bigger types of a travel trailer weighing upto 7300 lbs.
However, it’s highly recommended for you to know the dry weight of a particular trailer that you plan to tow to a 4Runner first before you proceed to do so.
If you have no idea what a dry weight is, it’s simply the weight of a trailer minus the weight of all the gears that are available in that trailer.
Just in case you plan to haul a trailer that has a lot of thing inside it, then it would be a wise step to add 1500 lbs to the initial dry weight of that trailer so that you would know the total weight of the trailer that you plan to tow to your 4Runner.
How Much Weight of Travel Trailers Can It Tow?
To put it in simple terms, a Toyota 4Runner can tow anything that weighs less than 5000 or 7300 lbs depending on the model that you use. All of these are made possible thanks to the smart towing technology that is utilized.
The 4 liters V6 engine provides the power that you need to tow a heavy trailer. Apart from that, the integrated hitch towing receiver helps you to maintain the stability of your trailer on even the roughest of terrain.
On top of that, the wiring harness that has 4- and 7- pin connectors help you to hook up the lights of your trailer so that you could drive safely on the road.
Different Models of 4Runner and Its Towing Capacity
2021 Toyota 4Runner (SR5)
The maximum towing capacity of the 2020 Toyota 4Runner SR5 SWD is currently at 5000 lbs with the aid of the standard wiring harness as well as the integrated hitch receiver.
2021 Toyota 4Runner (SR5 Premium)
As for the 2021 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Premium 4dr 4 by 4, its maximum towing capacity is also 5000 lbs with a torque of about 4400 rpm and a horsepower of 270 hp.
2021 Toyota 4Runner (Venture Special Edition)
The same goes for the 2021 Toyota 4Runner Venture Special Edition which has a maximum towing capacity of 5000 lbs. In a nutshell, regardless of which model of the 2021 Toyota 4Runner you choose to buy, all of them share the same towing capacity.
2015 Toyota 4Runner
Most of the towing capacity of the 4Runner that are available for purchase currently in the market would be around 5000 lbs except for the 2015 Toyota 4Runner which has a towing capacity of only 4700 lbs so be sure to think very carefully before making any final decision.
Can It Tow Fifth Wheel?
The Toyota 4Runners that are equipped with the V6 engine can tow smaller travel trailers and they cannot be used to tow a fifth wheel however any 4Runners that are equipped with a V8 engine should be able to tow a fifth wheel easily with no problems at all.
Apart from towing a fifth wheel, you may also tow a boat, truck, tree, as well as any all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that you might have.
Towing Features of the Toyota 4Runner
If you have been wondering how much can a current Toyota 4Runner model tow then you should be glad that it can tow up to 5000 lbs of trailer or equipment.
Apart from that, it also has a lot of spectacular towing features that enable you to tow your trailer safely and without any hassles coming to your mind. Some of the best towing features that it has been listed down below.
Wiring Harness with 4- and 7- Pin Connectors
The wiring harness makes the process of towing your trailer to be very easy and simple by using the light trailer connector that you may use to easily connect to your travel trailer.
You may choose to use between 4- and 7- pin connectors to find just the right trailer that suits you best.
4.0 Liters V6 Engine
This powerful engine ensures that you would be able to tow for a maximum weight of up to 5000 lbs on multiple types of extreme terrains. With torque ranging between 270 to 278 horsepower (hp), this engine is ready for the extreme conditions of the wild.
Integrated Towing Hitch Receiver
Every Toyota 4Runner would have a towing hitch receiver that can perfectly support any standard tow hitch so you don’t have to worry much about it for as long as you are buying a 4Runner then you should be good.
Miles Per Gallon of the Toyota 4Runner
Most of the Toyota 4Runner is ready to be used to take you and your family members to anywhere that you would like to go to.
Aside from having a comfy interior design, it also features excellent fuel efficiency which means that you could go further with every dollar that you spent on fuel.
The Toyota 4Runner has 19 miles per gallon on the highway and 16 miles per gallon in the city areas.
The 4Runner also features a massive fuel tank that could hold a maximum of 23 gallons of fuel to allows the drivers to get a maximum driving range of about 700 km or 437 miles. That is quite a long journey before you need to stop for more fuel.
Experience Towing with 4Runner
Most of the personal experience reported by previous 4Runner owners who did try to tow their travel trailer using a 4Runner is negative as most of these owners tend to claim that they face a lot of difficulties such as the transmission temperature rise rapidly which, in turn, forces them to pull over in the middle of nowhere to cool it down.
Apart from that, some also state that they will need to focus their attention to keep a close eye on the level of RPMs, temperatures, tongue weight as well as other details that would ruin their traveling experience.
On top of that, they also claimed that it would be a lot easier if they just use a full pickup truck instead and said that if they are given a second chance to travel, they would switch to Toyota Tundra.
Is Toyota 4Runner Best to Tow a Travel Trailer?
The Toyota 4Runner is popular for its excellent off-road capabilities and it can be considered as one of the best options that you have to tow your travel trailer with the condition that your travel trailer does not exceed 5000 lbs in weight.
Apart from towing your travel trailer, you may also be able to tow your ATVs, boats, horse trailers, and anything that weighs below 5000 lbs.
What Other Alternatives Are Available to Tow a Travel Trailer?
Toyota Tundra V8 Engine
The Toyota Tundra that is equipped with a V8 engine should provide you with an ample amount of power to tow a travel trailer. This is because the maximum towing capacity of the Toyota Tundra is up to 10,200 lbs.
This impressive towing capacity should be more than enough for you to tow almost any kind of travel trailer that you might have. The standard engine output of the Toyota Tundra is 381 hp at 5600 rpm and 401 lb-ft at 3600 rpm while its towing performance also features the standard trailer-sway control and ITBC (Integrated Trailer Brake Controller).
Overall, it is a great alternative to the Toyota 4Runner that you might want to consider using to tow your travel trailer.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, Toyota 4Runner can be used to tow a travel trailer but it would require a high level of focus as you would need to focus your attention on a lot of details such as the transmission temperature, tongue weight as well as gas mileage.
If you don’t mind about stuffing your head with all this stuff then, by all means, you should use a 4Runner but if you would like to have peace of mind then it’s better to just go with a full-pickup truck instead. Besides, if the transmission temperature exceeds 240 degrees Fahrenheit then you will need to pull over to lower the temperature which will cost you quite some time before you can proceed with your next destination.
